Deputies investigate Columbus woman's death

A 38-year-old Columbus woman who worked as a cook at the Waffle House was killed Sunday or Monday after her Lowndes County apartment was broken into.

Linda Snell was pronounced dead at the Cypress Park Apartments on South Lehmberg Road in Columbus at 10:53 p.m. Monday by Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant.

The Lowndes County Sheriff''s Office has a suspect in custody but has not filed charges, said Detective Tony Cooper.

Cooper would not confirm reports the suspect was the victim''s ex-boyfriend, Joe "Joe Thunder" Smith, or that he was the person in custody.

Family members said Snell, who lives alone in the apartment, called a friend Saturday night and asked for help leaving the apartment.

As she was talking, a man thought by family members to be Smith grabbed the phone and said "By the time you get here, she''ll be dead."

Family members began looking for Snell after she did not report for work Monday. She worked at the Highway 45 North Waffle House and as a cook at the Columbus Inns and Suites (formerly the Master Hosts Inn) in Columbus.

Snell, who has 16- and 18-year-old sons, was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle after Smith attacked her Saturday, said Wendy Kelly, the victim''s sister.

Between the victim''s call to her friend Saturday and the discovery of her body Monday evening, the victim was killed in her apartment by an assailant who entered through her balcony patio door, sheriff''s deputies told family members.

Deputies told the family that Snell fought back, stabbing the assailant during a fight, Kelly said.

The victim is thought to have been strangled.

Her body was taken to Jackson for an autopsy to determine the exact cause and time of death, Merchant said.

Reader Comments

I think this is horrible. I also send condolences to the family of this lady..

I just listened to the WCBI 6 o'clock new and they stated the lady had been beaten to death..this articles says strangled..either way this news is just sad sad news but I wonder which one of the stories is correct? I just wish our news venues could get together and tell us the REAL Story..or not give us a story at all..some here is wrong.

plainjoe commented at 8/31/2010 6:59:00 PM:

She was not a cook at the Waffle House. Where do you people get your information?

td commented at 8/31/2010 7:24:00 PM:

For whatever reason, there is a lot of meanness going on and there is only one sure way to stop it.

Our Father, which art in heaven ....

roscoe p. coltrain commented at 8/31/2010 8:07:00 PM:

Uh, I hate to point his out, but didn't THAT story end, in part, with a guy nailed to a cross?

Doesn't sound like a cure to me.

I think Granny in Ala. got it right the first time.

roscoe p. coltrain commented at 8/31/2010 8:10:00 PM:

Plainjoe, it pains me to say it, but that is how it was reported which in no way means that is how it was in the real world.

I direct your attention to the story about the "drive by shooting out the living room window" when the shooting was supposedly done in the backyard at a bedroom window.

It's the Columbus paper, what do you want? I'm just impressed to see they actually print it in English, most of the time.

sassy commented at 8/31/2010 8:53:00 PM:

The fact that she died is more important than how she died. She had just dealt with the guy this weekend beating her and the police were called but he was gone when they got there. She was reporting the abuse but it didn't save her.

rpippins1021 commented at 8/31/2010 10:54:00 PM:

what happend to friend she called on for help?

roscoe p. coltrain commented at 9/1/2010 5:25:00 AM:

No doubt a bad thing Sassy. It's a shame you can't get help when you need it until it is too late. I don't have an excuse for that one. I shouldn't have to.

roscoe p. coltrain commented at 9/1/2010 5:46:00 AM:

WCBI is reporting this guy was charged Tuesday. It also said he was found driving her car.

What a POS this guy must be.

ebrooks commented at 9/1/2010 10:32:00 PM:

Ms. Snell was a cook at tyhe Waffle House in Starkville Mississppi before it closed down. That is besides the point. That was said like it was a disgrace for her to have worked at the Waffle House. I think it was an honor because she was a wonder person and a great friend.

sassy commented at 9/1/2010 11:22:00 PM:

@ebrooks---I didn't think it was disrespectful to say she worked at the Waffle House. The article made it look like she was working 2 jobs, which is more than a lot of people do. I really, really feel sorry for what this poor woman endured at the hands of the criminal that she had gotten away from....only to be killed by him. It sounds like he had abused her before and now that she finally said ENOUGH, he kills her. He deserves to never walk the streets again.